Category: Obesity

The number of children who are obese in the US and other countries is growing each year at an alarming rate. This problem is something to be very concerned about because obese children and teens are more likely to develop many serious health conditions. Fortunately, there are many things parents can do to help kids who are overweight. The following are some helpful recommendations for keeping your kids active and healthy.

You want your child to become more active and you can do this by scheduling healthy activities that everyone in the family can take part in. Not only that, but everyone in the family benefits. Take this as an opportunity for everyone in the family to bond and get healthy. Some activities you can do with your child include swimming, biking, and hiking. You can take the family dog along to make these regular family activities fun for your child. Plan active family vacations so the whole family can stay healthy. Being more active as a family is a great way to teach children some healthy habits.

It’s important that you encourage your child to develop healthy eating habits, but be careful that you don’t get too restrictive. If you completely forbid some of your child’s favorite foods, it will create a craving and a feeling of deprivation. This is how binge eating in children start because children end up eating in secret the foods they aren’t allowed to eat.

This habit is then often carried over into adulthood. Your child will be a bit more receptive to the idea of eating more healthily if instead of completely forbidding them to eat the foods they like, you start by limiting their consumption of those foods. If your child has gotten used to eating fast food, for example, cut back on the times you eat out. Make it as a once a week or even once a month thing. And when your child eats such foods, the foods must be in smaller or sensible portions.

Children and adults alike usually develop the habit of consuming portions that are much larger than necessary at every meals. In many cases, this habit starts when parents force their children to finish all the food on their plate. If your child is way below the ideal weight for his or her age, then you’d want your child to be eating more food. However, if your child is of average weight or overweight, make sure you’re not contributing to the problem by overloading his or her plate with food. Eating out or ordering fast food often can be a challenge. It’s best to start with a smaller portion and take more if the child is still hungry, as putting large amounts of food in front of a child will only encourage him or her to overeat. The suggestions we’ve offered in this article should help you get started in encouraging your child to lose weight. However, it’s important to keep in mind that your child’s weight problem isn’t going to go away right away so you’ll have to be patient, persistent, and positive. This can be a challenging situation, but it’s by no means impossible to overcome. The more the whole family gets involved, the easier it will be for the child to make fast progress and shed those extra pounds.